Erik Moore doesn't see time on the road as a chore. Rather, he believes it can be a great opportunity.

As the managing director of Base Ventures, a venture capital firm in Berkeley, Calif. that invests in tech start-ups, Moore often travels for business, meeting with budding entrepreneurs or potential investors.

But while his calendar may be chock full of appointments, Moore makes sure to leave room for networking that is more spontaneous.

"I ... tend to create meetings, talking with friends who live in those cities and with people I'm meeting with," he says. "I ask for introductions, (and) ask if there are other meetings (or) events I should attend."

To help business people work smarter, both on the road and in the office, USA TODAY is looking at the ways that top executives work more efficiently, gathering their tips to help others. Moore, who is on the road up to 16 weeks a year, shared his advice for how to network while on the go.

Moore says that he tries to seek out "target-rich environments."

"Random opportunities are great," Moore says. "But to be efficient with your networking, and for it to really make sense, why not maximize your possibilities by putting yourself in an area where there are ... more than one or two or 10 people you'd like to talk to?"

Moore can usually count on his long list of contacts to alert him to an interesting discussion or social mixer. For instance, he recently tagged along with a friend in New York who was a keynote speaker at a function focused on technology. "It's absolutely perfect for my business," Moore says.

But even if you have a slimmer Rolodex, Moore says, you can still ferret out opportunities to meet people who could be a resource for you in the future.

"Reach out to an organization and say 'I'd love to attend this event.' Or just show up."

A key contact could be made while sitting in an airline lounge, Moore says.

"Every place is a good place to meet people. An airline lounge is as good a place as any."

Staying in the right spot

But the executive floor of a hotel, particularly those where your professional peers tend to stay, might be more opportune, Moore says.

"It's somewhere in the middle of just kind of meeting them randomly at the bar or being at a specific event" for your industry, Moore says of the special hotel floors set aside for premium guests.

Moore usually books a room at the chic boutique hotels that he finds are popular with other tech types, such as The Royalton in Manhattan. "There's a greater chance of serendipity at particular hotels," he says, "I know I'll bump into somebody."

Once he makes a connection, he determines whether he was successful, based on whether they're willing to have a more formal follow-up chat.

"The goal at the first meeting is not to get everything answered. ... Your goal should be to get another meeting," he says.

To that end, rather than immediately steering the discussion toward a potential transaction, Moore uses that first conversation to build a rapport. He'll even do a little homework beforehand if he knows a potential contact is attending the same func-tion.

"Did they go to Wharton?," he says of his business school alma mater. "Did they go to Dartmouth? ... I find some commonality."

But Moore cautions that a preliminary Google search is just to find touchstones to spark a conversation. Ultimately, you want the chitchat to evolve naturally, not seem rehearsed.

If he's able to snag a second meeting during his business trip, he'll often reach out to acquaintances to locate a few local restaurants he can suggest for a sit-down.

"Typically, breakfast or lunch works better for most people," Moore says. "They may have a family and want to get home."

But he's also quick to let his lunch guest know that he's fine meeting them at a café near their workplace.

"I'm the one getting something out of it," he says. "I will go to the ends of the Earth to make it convenient for you."

He means that literally. Once he's made a connection, Moore has no problem hopping on a plane to keep in touch and deepen the relationship.

Just last month, he flew from California to Boston to attend an exclusive party.

Other times, Moore will tell a potential associate that he'll be in their town so they can set up a meeting, even if he initially has no other other business there.

When you're making a quick connection on the road, it's easy to be forgotten. Moore says it's a good idea to send a follow-up e-mail with an interesting tidbit from your conversation noted in the subject line. Sometimes, he'll even include his photograph.

"It goes back to making life convenient," he says.

Stand out from the crowd

Come up with other ideas to make sure you're memorable. Instead of using digits for the phone number on his business card, Moore spells it out with orange dots. For instance, there are four tiny circles for the number four.

It's a conversation starter.

"I purposely wanted a unique business card for that very reason," he says, adding that people often first believe his phone number is written in Braille. "Nobody ever knows what it is, and it's a big game as people try to figure it out."

At a time when many people prefer putting contacts into their smartphones, Moore says he still appreciates collecting, as well as passing out, business cards. He tacks them up with magnets in his office, and organizes them by category — company CEOs over here, venture capitalists over there.